The world’s information is more than doubling every two years - with a colossal 1.8 zettabytes to be created and replicated in 2011, according to a new survey from analysts IDC (sponsored by EMC).

The authors found that while 75% of the information in the digital universe is generated by individuals, enterprises have some liability for 80% of information in the digital universe at some point in its digital life.

“The number of "files," or containers that encapsulate the information in the digital universe, is growing even faster than the information itself as more and more embedded systems pump their bits into the digital cosmos. In the next five years, these files will grow by a factor of 8, while the pool of IT staff available to manage them will grow only slightly.

“Less than a third of the information in the digital universe can be said to have at least minimal
security or protection; only about half the information that should be protected is protected.

“The amount of information individuals create themselves — writing documents, taking pictures,
downloading music, etc. — is far less than the amount of information being created about them in the digital universe.”

“The chaotic volume of information that continues growing relentlessly presents an endless amount of opportunity—driving transformational societal, technological, scientific, and economic changes,” said Clive Gold, Marketing CTO, EMC Australia and New Zealand.

More organisations are adopting policies where users have control over the laptops, tablets, and smartphones that they could use to conduct their business (or personal) affairs. Given that IT resources increasingly are drawn from a combination of private and public infrastructures, IDC concludes the pressure is on for these organisations to figure out a way to manage security and compliance obligations across multiple many-to-many relationships.